A Chat with American Mezzo-Soprano Jennifer Larmore

Jennifer Larmore recital Phoenicia

Earlier this month renowned mezzo-soprano Mrs Jennifer Larmore visited the Maltese Islands for a Masterclass in Valletta, made possible thanks to local mezzo-soprano Ms Clare Ghigo. We sat down with Mrs Larmore, a guest of The Phoenicia Malta, to learn more about her career and her first impressions of the island.

Hailing from Atlanta (USA), Jennifer Larmore reveals that her voice was noted at an early age. As a child she would come home with little notes pinned to her clothes, which would read ‘Encourage Jennifer to sing. She has a wonderful voice’. She adds that her parents discovered she had this voice by the time she was 12 and then started participating in a number of state competition and also won an ‘All-State Competition’. ‘By the time I was 15 that is all I wanted to do!’, she exclaims.

Describing how her international career kicked off, Mrs Larmore explains that it came about quite unexpectedly. Her former husband, who was also a singer, was booked for an audition with Opera de Nice. She took the plunge and asked whether she could sing at the end of his audition and his agent agreed, subject to time being available. There was indeed enough time to spare so Jennifer went on to sing. Not only was she given the job, but she was given 7 contracts on the spot!

Jennifer’s career went from strength to strength, which saw her travel and perform across the world. When asked about her favourite performance, Jennifer admits that this is always a very hard question to answer as there are many magic moments in Opera. She adds, however, that if she really had to choose, she would go for a night at the Metropolitan Opera. She describes the moment she went up on stage, sick and running a fever. Before she even sang a note, everyone starting applauding. It was her first performance back in her own country in some time and it was clear that everyone was keen to watch her perform. She reveals that she was overwhelmed by the response and went on to sing with such abandonment and such joy that it was one of the most amazing memories of her whole career.

We wrap up our chat by asking about her impression of Malta and the hotel. Mrs Larmore explains that this was her first visit and that her expectations of this Mediterranean Island were met and that she would describe Malta as ‘Magical’ and ‘Exotic’. She recounts how on her first day, after settling into The Phoenicia Malta, she walked out to Valletta and wondered, ‘Where am I? Am I in Italy? Am I in an Arab Country? Am I in England?’. She added that she loves the mix and of course also the fact that everyone on the island speaks English.

As for The Phoenicia Malta, Jennifer smiles and says ‘My first impression was luxury. There is a fast rhythm to a Masterclass so you need somewhere where you can come back and feel at home and be comfortable. This hotel is exactly that. It is a fantastic base being so close to Valletta and staff are very attentive and give careful detail to what we actually want.’

It was a pleasure having the talented Mrs Jennifer Larmore stay with us and, more so, hosting a recital with her students at The Phoenicia’s Palm Court Lounge at the end of her Masterclass. It was a spectacular performance which took everyone’s breath away.

Mrs Larmore and The Phoenicia Malta Hotel Manager, Mr Silvan Camilleri
Jennifer Larmore Phoenicia suite
Enjoying the view from one of The Phoenicia Malta’s suites

The Phoenicia Malta appoints new General Manager

Robyn Pratt - General Manager - The Phoenicia Malta

Phoenicia Malta appoints Robyn Pratt as General Manager

Mark Shaw, Owner of The Phoenicia Malta recently announced the appointment of Robyn Pratt as the hotel’s new General Manager.

Robyn has lived in Malta for 11 years with her husband Brian. They have 3 sons, 2 of which attended Verdala International School until recently when Sebastian left to attend Clongowes College in Ireland to further his passion for Rugby.

“I am very humbled and proud that Mark asked me to take on this role and am excited about the possibilities that are in front of us. This is more than taking on a hotel – this role is about building upon a wonderful story rich with history, pride and sense of family. For many years I would walk into Valletta and look towards The Phoenicia and think what a beautiful building it is but actually never realised how much more it is than a beautiful building. You enter the hotel lobby and before you is the open and spacious Palm Court Lounge with the view beyond from the Phoenix Terrace overlooking The Phoenicia Gardens and Harbour it creates a wonderful energy.”

When I first walked down to The Bastion Pool, I had no idea how beautiful it is especially when walking through the lush gardens and then it opens up to the pool area nestled in with the beautiful Bastion walls seeming to protect it. Whenever I take someone to the pool area who hasn’t previously visited, they share my sense of awe as you come across what really is a treasure located so close to the beautiful city of Valletta.”

Robyn has worked in the hospitality industry for almost 45 years with her very first job being a waitress in Rockhampton which is the city that Robyn was born in Queensland, Australia. Hospitality gets into your blood and try as we might we find it hard to leave. Robyn owned her own restaurant by the time she was 20 and then went on to join ITT Sheraton which then became Starwood Hotels & Restaurants. She held various positions with this company including General Manager, Regional Sales and Marketing in Australia and then moved to Belgium to headquarters for Europe, Africa and Middle East where she held senior roles in Six Sigma, Operational Innovation, Customer Experience, and Brand Leadership for Design and Luxury brands. “I value the fact that I have worked in a hotel in most departments and then have Regional and International experience working across Countries and Cultures.

In recent years I have been working with individuals and teams to reach their full potential through challenging their paradigms and self-limiting beliefs in order to achieve different results and this is something we will be working on here at The Phoenicia. “What has got us to where we are today is great however, times are changing, and our vision is to be acknowledged as the “the best in the Mediterranean” so together with the team we are working together to determine how we need to change in order to achieve this bold goal. “Nothing is impossible – it is our thinking that makes it so” is a great quote that reflects how we want our team to think going forward.

These are very challenging times for our industry specifically with the severe shortage of HR resources available which again means we need to think differently and what is most important to me is that we will focus on bringing our Phoenicia promise to life from the inside out which means we will continue to focus on engaging our team in our goal and supporting them so that they can be proud to be an integral part of our success. The team here at the hotel are fantastic and the “sense of family” that I have felt from the outset is what I hear time and time again from our guests who comment on the great team spirit and their willingness to deliver the best possible experience for our Phoenicia Malta guest.

We are definitely not standing still. We have our recently opened Deep Nature Spa, our gardens were given a major uplift over the Covid period, we are excited with the recently announced collaboration with Beefbar which will open in what was Café Phoenicia and there is more to come so stay tuned.
I have heard from many over the past few years that Malta must focus on improving the quality of guest experience for visitors which we absolutely agree with, and this will continue to be our focus going forward.”

World Tourism Day

The Phoenicia Malta Team

Take an inside out approach to achieving excellence

A message from Robyn Pratt, General Manager, The Phoenicia Malta

When the team at The Phoenicia Malta decided to celebrate World Tourism Day, I reflected on the messaging from UNWTO in relation to this year’s theme. The words – “behind every number, there is a person” stood out for me. This is something I am very passionate about and over the years as I have supported brands and companies in developing a culture that will support the delivery of quality guest experience, I have implored leaders and managers to think “from the inside out”.

It has always been said in the hospitality industry that “People make the difference” but I feel that perhaps in many cases these were said because it was in some cases the right thing to say. Did we really lead from the front to ensure that our people REALLY made the difference or more importantly that they felt that they REALLY were able to make the difference.

Now more than ever before it is critical for us to consider our business from the “inside-out”. What do I mean by this? If we focus first on ensuring our team members feel engaged with the business and feel dedicated and passionate about doing their best this energy will be bought to life at every touch point for the guest.

The role of the leader and manager in inspiring and engaging team members to deliver excellence has never been so vital as each day we fight the battle to recruit and retain team members who will bring our promise to life.

I am incredibly proud to work alongside some wonderfully committed team members here at The Phoenicia Malta, I hear on a daily basis from guests about how it is the people who make this experience one that they want to come back to time and time again. And the reason we are able to achieve this is that “this team is truly like a family” – we have our ups and downs but at the end of it all everyone is committed to delivering the best possible experience for the guest. And it is because there is such a strong sense of unity/family at the core of all that we do.

The team laughs together, they cry together, they celebrate together and when the going gets tough they pull together to deliver the best experience for the guest and that is in the end what hospitality is all about. The coming together of people from many different cultures, of many different ages, of all genders – all focused on delivering an experience that will engage and delight the guest.

I have worked in this industry for 45 years – every day is different – every day has new challenges – every day has new highlights and that is what makes it an industry that those who have chosen to work within it and make it their life love about it.

I wish everyone a great International Tourism Day and want to humbly thank every team member of The Phoenicia Malta team for always being focused on doing the very best they can to deliver a guest experience that will become a great memory for these guests of the hotel and the hospitality industry.

My message to any leader or manager reading this article – Focus on inspiring and engaging your team and they in turn will focus on inspiring and engaging your customers! And be the leader who would inspire you to be the best version of you and others will follow!

The Phoenicia Malta Appoints Antoine Mifsud as New Food and Beverage Manager

Antoine Mifsud - F&B Manager - The Phoenicia Malta

As part of our ongoing efforts to deliver the best experience to our clients, we are delighted to announce the appointment of Antoine Mifsud as our new Food and Beverage Manager.

With Antoine onboard, we are excited to see our food and beverage outlets such as Phoenix Restaurant, Palm Court Lounge, The Club Bar, The Bastion Pool Bar & Restaurant, Banqueting, and Room Service, reach new heights of customer satisfaction.

Commenting on his appointment, Antoine said “I have been brought in to make our food and beverage outlets the best in the Mediterranean. I strive for excellence in everything I do which aligns perfectly with the ethos I found here at The Phoenicia Malta”.

Antoine’s initial interest in the hospitality industry started as a teenager when he got his first summer job working at a local holiday village. “I was instantly attracted to the international opportunities I was presented with when I entered the hospitality industry” Antoine reflects. “It just felt like this is where I am supposed to be and have never looked back since”.

Antoine gained international experience working at the prestigious Dorchester Hotel in London, Coworth Park, the Vineyard at Stockcross which achieved two Michelin stars, and even appeared as part of a cameo on the finals of MasterChef UK. Antoine has also held positions at some of Malta’s other respected international hotel brands.

“We are growing, and I like to give our current team members the opportunity to grow and progress rather than looking for people outside of the hotel just to fill in vacancies”

“We are also searching for young people who are eager to learn and want to escalate the career ladder in hospitality. We have big plans in the pipeline which I look forward to presenting to our guests and the public soon “.

Commenting on Antoine’s appointment, Hotel Manager Silvan Camilleri said, “Antoine ticks all the right boxes, and I’m delighted to have him part of our team, which aims to continue delivering exceptional experiences to our guests. His attention to detail, knowledge and passion for high service standards will help us achieve our future vision for the restaurants, bars and hotel.”